i was so excited to see this couple married, and little Cooper in his adorable suit

there were SO many gorgeous details at this wedding… and lots of them handmade by Jess.  very excited to share these later, but for now, just a little peek!

Jen is a Newcastle gal, studying Nutritional Medicine and writing a very informative blog along the ways…  check it out here…  she is also a lovely past bride of mine from a few years ago

floral art by Sapphire Designs

hair and makeup by Tranzformations

an adventure to get to this place… in many ways.

excited to share more of Elise soon…

UPDATE: see the full slideshow here

flicking through a wedding magazine the other day and came across a pic of mine…  so, i thought i would share

these sugar swizzle sticks from Sugar Rush are so cool looking and they taste divine too…. not as sweet and sugary as you would expect, and they come in loads of yummy flavours…

they look great on your desert table, or as guest favors…

this beautiful couple is getting married very soon… cant wait!!!

Emma and Anthony were both asked to choose what cartoon character best represents themselves… and why…

they then had 20 questions to guess who the other’s character was!

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update: 7 sept 2011

Bec and Ben received their order yesterday and this is what they had to say…

From the first moment that I first heard about the [beloved] sessions, to the moment that I hung my canvas on the wall – my experience with Renee and [beloved] has been magical.
As a huge fan of Renee’s work and with my house already looking like a studio for NFE Design with plenty of pictures of my children, I have to admit at first I was hesitant to book a [beloved] session. Although the idea was flawless and the pictures of other couples even more so, I did not have faith that my photos would be the same. With my husband and I both unhappy with our current body image I kept postponing a photo shoot – waiting till I “dropped some weight” or “got my hair done”. But in the end Renee reminded me that this is about the love that my husband and I have for each other and that is what she is photographing not me and my big arms.
It was great to spend the time with Renee and get the photos done. They day itself is an experience. It isn’t just a ten minute booking slot where you rush in “smile” and say good bye. She spends the time to get you relaxed, to understand what makes you as a couple tick and smile and really discover what it is you both want to get out of the session.
For us it was about discovering “us” again. With three young boys were had not been for a long time just ‘Bec and Ben’, it was ‘Bec, Ben and the Boys’. We had spent so much money capturing the smiles and stages of our boys lives, but apart from our wedding never stopped to look back at our lives together.
The pictures were breath taking. And Renee was right, it wasn’t about nick picking over how we looked but just being totally in love with seeing ourselves being in love again. The photos speak volumes about how we truly feel about each other, something that often gets forgotten in the mayhem of every day life once children come along. It was really refreshing to hang a photo on my wall that was not us dressed up and hardly recognizable with so much hair and make up, but an honest photo of how we look and how we feel about each other. Nothing was staged.
I think my 3 year old son summed it up the best, as they often do. He said to me while admiring the photos, “Mum, look. You and Dad are best friends”. There is something so simple and magical about the way he could sense that from the photography. Such a positive image he can reflect on while he grows up. And for that I am truly thankful to Renee for.

i had tears streaming down my face as i read this message, and i am so happy that Bec and Ben were able to see the beauty in themselves that i saw on that afternoon we spent together.  so amazed at the wisdom of the fast, noisy, messy faced little boy that i photographed last year, to see his parents as best friends…   because how many couples out there forget the very reason why they chose their partner as the ‘one’.  it is so easy to get lost in the rolling tides of day to day life!

i am so incredibly thankful for the opportunity to shoot these beloved sessions.  thank you Bec, and Ben.  so much love to you and your family!!

to read more about beloved: see the website here

follow us on facebook here

A peek at a gorgeous couple who I had the pleasure of meeting when visiting The Gold Coast recently…

Thanks so much Suz and Fernando, for all that you shared!

a beautiful [beloved] photo session a few weeks ago with Vanessa and Jon…

in Vanessa’s words:

Thank you so much Renee! Words cannot describe how amazing you are. You made us look so beautiful, so in love, and so very us

We will really have trouble choosing which images to have you print, not sure we have enough walls in our house!

Never thought we would say that, because until our [beloved] shoot, we hated getting our photo taken!!! Thank you:)

I am SO excited about my exploration with [beloved] Want to see more?? check out renee bell photographer website for the details, and my portfolio..  Or give me a call on 0402 914371 – I’d love to chat!

Lastly if you are in the Newcastle | Hunter Valley area, please check out the gorgeous wedding cakes that this very talented couple make…

sugar rush website

amazing amazing [beloved] photo shoot with Chris and Amanda…

can you feel the love in the air??

In Amanda’s words…

They are every word imaginable for perfect!!!  We love love love them you have done such a fantastic job!!!  We are privileged to have been a part of your beloved sessions – they are just as you described, memories scribed into our hearts and minds and having these pictures will remind us daily.  You totally owned them girl!!!  Thank you, Amanda and Chris

_

thank you so much for the pleasure of documenting your relationship together Chris and Amanda

for those wondering what [beloved] is, or wanting to book a session you can see details here

for more info about [beloved] view the website here

only from the heart can you touch the sky ~ RUMI

a gorgeous couple, some awesome clouds and a quiet moment.

stay tuned for more…

Here is just a peek of the gorgeous details…

Flowers by The Feather Rose (artifical berries, gum nuts, feathers, orchids, calla lillies and wood chip roses)

Hair and makeup by Jaime Sherrah

White chocolate and double chocolate cake by The Sweetest Things in Terrigal.

Lots more to come so stay tuned for more

Find Renee Bell |  Photographer on facebook here

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LINKS:

Ceremony and Reception Location: La Toscane at Sweet Water Vineyard

Celebrant: Naomi Rhodes

Brides Dress: Brides Desire – Belles and Beaux Newcastle

Suits: Reuben F Scarf

Cufflinks: Goldmark Jewellers, monogram designed by Kendell

Flowers: Feather Rose

Hair and Makeup: Jaime Sherrah

Catering: Mr Catering

Cake: The Sweetest Things